On Location vs. Sound Stage

There are many factors that hang in the balance when deciding between
location shooting or sound stage shooting. Every element of your
production will be affected by your choice.

Production Design

The most obvious department that will play a part in this decision is
the art department. On location, the space is already built. It may
need to undergo some scenic work, such as a new paint job, or it may
need to be furnished differently. But, everything is done on the
surface. On a sound stage, everything would need to be built. This means
not only the walls and furniture, but also any texture that can only be
achieved through years of activity in a space. So, a lot of money can
be spent recreating a genuine environment.

Camera

This department's advantages and disadvantages are closely linked to
those of the art department. On location, the camera is locked into the
space that exists. If you want to get a wide shot, you can only put you
widest lens on and get as close to the wall behind you as possible.
However, in a sound stage, your set walls can be built to fly away. This
means much more flexibility as far as camera placement goes, and
overall more working space available.

Lighting

On location, the sun plays a huge part in lighting conditions. If you
are spending an entire day in a room with lots of windows, the light is
going to change from morning, to afternoon, to evening. This means a
lot of equipment is needed to control said changes and maintain
continuity throughout the scene.

In a studio space, you do not have this problem because all the light
(even a hypothetical sun) is artificial and therefore entirely in your
control. However, you now need more lights in order to simulate the said
sun as it would appear in each of your set's windows. You also need to
account for what you can see through these windows, and how you would
like to deal with that. On the other hand, studio lighting wins one more
advantage with an available rigging grid, complete with electricity
above the set.

Sound

There is a reason that it is called a "sound stage". A studio should
be completely sound proof. No sound other than what is in the room can
ruin a take. On location, you have to deal with "holding for a plane,"
strange plumbing sounds in your building, or neighbors yelling. Having
control can make this department run seamlessly.

Production

At last, the biggest department of all. A good location manager
should always be asking herself, where will we stage equipment? Where
will actor holding be? Where can we park the trucks? Where are the
bathrooms? Is there Internet available for the production team? Is there
an elevator to get equipment to the sixth floor? All these questions
are eliminated in sound stage shooting. Studios have all of these things
taken care of for the production. The kicker is that the studio space
costs money.

Locations and sound stages both have advantages and disadvantages. In
many cases, the choice will come down to cost, but there are many other
factors to consider as well. Also, keep in mind that you need location
permits to shoot in many public places.